Court rules in favor of BIGBANG’s Seungri and orders reporter to pay fine for reporting false claims

The judge has ruled that reporter “Kim” has relayed false claims and demands him to pay a fine of seven million Korean Won—approximately $7,000 U.S. Dollars.

The Seoul Central District Court has ruled in favor of BIGBANG‘s Seungri, despite having made a verdict earlier this year in March that journalist “Kim” has been dropped from all charges regarding the Defamation of Character lawsuit YG Entertainment had filed for against the reporter in August 2014.

Shin Yong Moo, the Seoul Central District Court judge, ruled on August 22, 2016 that “Kim” had to pay YG Entertainment a fine of 7,000,000 KRW (nearly $7,000 USD) for groundlessly publishing articles numerous times regarding suspicions of the BIGBANG member having driven drunk during the 2014 automobile collision, even though the accident had been ruled as a case of falling asleep behind the wheel and speeding.

Since the accident in 2014, reporter “Kim” continued to bring up the past incident by claiming to have witnesses lined up to testify that they had all seen Seungri drinking alcohol at a club party before getting into his car and driving away on the same night the collision had occurred. Neither “Kim” nor the witnesses have been able to provide any physical or factual evidence to support these claims, however.

Judge Shin also stated on this day that at the time of the car accident two years ago, police had already ruled out driving under the influence of alcohol after several tests and searches.

The judge has acknowledged the Defamation of Character charges and concluded a brand new verdict for the reporter, saying, “All of the witnesses’ testimonies may have contained inaccurate details, as well as mere assumptions, but because reporter ‘Kim’ slandered the artist on groundless and nonexistent rumors on several of his SNS accounts as if the testimonies were true, I have reached this final verdict.”

Source: Sports Seoul